From Italy: Agent offers 154-appearance Manchester City defender to Champions League pair in cut-price deal

Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo has been offered to two Serie A clubs by agent Jorge Mendes.

The 30-year-old, who was dumped out of the European Championship with Portugal on Friday after a penalty shoot-out loss to France in the quarter-finals, is expected to resolve his future with Manchester City in the coming weeks.

Cancelo has enjoyed successive loan spells at Bayern Munich and Barcelona after dramatically quitting east Manchester following a training ground bust-up with manager Pep Guardiola in January 2023 – less than 12 months after signing a long-term contract extension at the Etihad.

The full-back, who has won seven trophies and made over 150 appearances with Manchester City, featured 32 times in La Liga and on 10 occasions in the Champions League for Barcelona during the recent 2023/24 campaign, registering nine direct goal involvements.

The Portugal international made 23 appearances prior to a shock mid-season exit from the Sky Blues in 2023, and despite featuring during pre-season for Manchester City last year, the 30-year-old isn’t considered part of Guardiola’s first-team plans for the 2024/25 campaign.

Barcelona’s aspirations of re-signing the full-back have been dealt a blow by the Catalan club’s financial situation, with Etihad bosses wanting to cash-in on the defender this summer, as Manchester City bid to raise transfer funds.

The defender’s agent has reportedly offered a cut-price deal to two Serie A clubs in an attempt to secure Cancelo a permanent exit from east Manchester, with Manchester City having set a lower asking price of €25 million, despite paying £60 million for the 30-year-old in 2019.

Inter Milan and Juventus have both been offered the chance to re-sign the Portuguese right-back by Jorge Mendes this summer, according to a La Stampa report relayed by Football Italia.

The 30-year-old is claimed to be willing to lower his salary to ‘ease’ a return to the Italian top-flight and play Champions League football next season, having previously made 51 previous appearances in the Serie A

Saudi Arabian clubs have also been credited with interest in signing the full-back this summer, with Premier League rivals Arsenal having previously been linked with a possible cut-price swoop.

Cancelo could travel to the United States with Manchester City for a four-match pre-season tour later this month, should the player’s future for the 2024/25 season not be resolved.